03 February 2009

This flag is upside-down

Count me in as one of those who never noticed before that the Union flag (and the Union Jack) are asymmetric flags. There's a bit of a row in the U.K. today because a toy flag was displayed incorrectly at a ceremony.

There is a specific way of hanging it, with the thick white parts of the diagonal cross nearest the flagpole being placed above the thinner white parts.

Mr Kearsley said: "Having the flag upside down historically was a sign of distress. You might have it put it up on a fort to warn those in the know - other British forces - that there was trouble from the enemy.

"Forces from other nations wouldn't have noticed. It was like a sort of code."

I suppose one could argue that Britain currently IS in distress, and that flying the flag inverted was fully appropriate...

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